Transforming the lives of offenders in Carmarthenshire

Agencies in Carmarthenshire recently got together to discuss the opportunity they have to transform the lives of offenders in Carmarthenshire, with the launch of the Integrated Offender Management Scheme (IOM).

IOM is all about the intensive management of priority offenders who represent the highest levels of risk, threat and harm to our community by recognising the factors that can lead to offending taking place. It aims to reduce crime, reduce levels of reoffending, improve public confidence in the criminal justice system and tackle the exclusion of offenders and their families.

The event included presentations from Tony Kirk, the Welsh Government IOM Lead; Kate Thomas, Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership Manager; Ella Rabaiotti, Assistant Chief Executive of the Wales Community Rehabilitation Company, and Supt Robyn Mason, Territorial Police Commander for Carmarthenshire.

The delegates took part in a speed dating style meet and great with the IOM experts and agencies to find out more about the scheme and the part they could play in helping to transform the lives of offenders and to reduce crime and offending in Carmarthenshire.

Ella Rabaiotti, Assistant Chief Executive of Wales CRC said “It was a great event to showcase how Probation, Police and partners are joined together to reduce reoffending in Carmarthenshire. By working face to face each day, we deal more effectively with offenders, providing the interventions and enforcement required. The launch invited other partners to learn about our work and look at new opportunities to address the root causes of offending.”

Cllr Pam Palmer, Deputy Leader and Executive Board Member for Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership advised that “Offender management has been a key priority of the Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership (CSP) since we formed a multi-agency Steering Group in 2006 to tackle our most prolific priority offenders. That priority to manage offenders was further embedded in 2010 when all CSPs were given a statutory duty to reduce reoffending, by both adult and young offenders. The benefits of working with our top offenders are clear – if we target those that commit the most crime, we will reduce crime levels – and the impact that offending has on our communities. And that’s our aim – making our communities safer.”

Supt Robyn Mason, Police Commander for Carmarthenshire, added “Transform has already made a significant impact on the behaviour of priority repeat offenders in Carmarthenshire, to the benefit of everyone within our community. We look forward to building upon the successes achieved and continuing to support those individuals who genuinely wish to turn their lives around and similarly to target those that continue to re-offend. Our priority with Transform remains very much to prevent crime and re- offending in order to safeguard the communities of Carmarthenshire”.